The words over at Three Word Wednesday are eclipse, languish and velocity. I started with bits of lyrics from Richard Hell, who played with Television, The Heartbreakers and Richard Hell & The Voidoids back in the day.VoidoidWhen it’s all said and done, when my life has reached its terminal velocity and I’d sucked in that last, sweet breath, my wish is to have Richard Hell’s name etched onto my headstone.I mean, it really was Richard who taught me everything I needed to know in life:“I belong to the blank generation and I can take it or leave it each time.”“But he ain't for sale unless you add the kitchen sink.”“Love comes in spurts (it always hurts).”Really, I owe Richard my life, man.Languishing in an adolescent prison, pimply-faced and alone, all it took was Richard’s thumping bass and twangy voice to lift me past the detritus of a misspent youth and into something more. Dangerous.The safety pins and the dark denim, leather boots and jackets. The hair, spiky and unwashed.A freedom, a soaring black heart, eclipsed only by the stares of those who once pushed me into lockers but kept a minimum safe distance after the change.Beautiful, man.I was one of the lucky ones, too.I got out of the scene just as the roller-coaster crested the hill and dropped into oblivion. Back before everyone started dropping from the Big H, like Sid Vicious and Johnny Thunders.I got clean. Got an education. Covered up the tats and got a job, a wife, kids.Still, man, the life haunts me. Just a little. Past glory fades.You get old.Just like the doctor who grabbed my throat and yelled, “God’s consolation prize!”I belong to the blank generation.I can take it or leave it each time.

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comments:

Its so strange yet so true how some things change or rather deviate and put back our life in track.And thats why they say-influences do matter.And yes past does haunt.But now thats all it can do-haunt,nothing more than that.

what I like about this piece is that it is a true reflection of the past and the emotions that always last no matter what happens in life. Take it or leave it. Great!The words today are hard- I'm going to try to write but I can't stop laughing at the FB comments - you really do have some great friends. Favorite of the the day- "You think I got where I am today because I dressed like Peter Pan?"

Bernard, I guess it would be a search for what excites you, takes you to the next level. I was listening to Richard Hell and the idea blossomed into what happens when someone fixates on a song, an artist, a celebrity to help them grow.

I read something somewhere that said a person's taste in music is governed by the same part of the brain that determines right from wrong, hence the extremely opinionated nature of all true music lovers everywhere. Considering this, I don't find it hard to believe that music has a very distinct and powerful influence on our lives, whether we're aware of it or not. I certainly find it impossible to live without music... and it has helped me through some very dark times, too.The Moment Before Impact

Thom Gabrukiewicz is both a communicator and a writer of flash fiction. Most of what he writes is kind of dark, with occasional forays into the light.
He’s a winner of some awards and has covered two Winter Olympics. He’s also written a guidebook about hiking with dogs.
He’s fiercely loyal and has a malevolent side that seems to visit less and less. He’s both a hopeless romantic and a realist.
He's currently working on community wellness issues in Wyoming.